Domestic Goddess Bread

My two loaves cooling off (made by doubling the recipe).

Domestic goddess, this is what everyone will be calling you after they taste this bread. Forget the bakery. You can make a beautiful, enviable loaf of bread without being a slave to the dough and starter process. Every Urban Domestic Girl can master this recipe no matter the size of her kitchen. Three variations keep this bread fun and new with rotation. I start this bread on a Friday night and finish it on Saturday or Sunday.

Crusty White Bread

A bread with 3 variations. Yields 1 large loaf or 2 smaller loafs.

What You Need

1 large enameled cast-iron dutch oven or skillet with a lid

Pre-ferment

125 grams warm water (1/2 cup + 1 Tbsp)

1/8 tsp dry granulated yeast

150 grams organic all-purpose flour (1 1/4 cups)

Bread Dough

625 g warm water (2 3/4 cups)

900 g organic all-purpose flour (6 3/4 c + 2 Tbsp)

100 g organic whole wheat flour (3/4 cup)

2 1/2 Tbsp kosher salt dissolved in 1/2 cup warm water

All-purpose flour for dusting

Step 1. Pre-ferment: In a medium bowl, mix the water with the yeast and stir until the yeast is dissolved. Stir in the flour. Cover loosely and let rise at room temperature, overnight, or for 10-14 hours.

Step 2. Bread Dough: In a very large bowl, whisk the all-purpose flour with the whole wheat flour, set aside. Add the warm water to the pre-ferment using your hands to break it up until dissolved. Add the pre-ferment to the large bowl and use your hands to mix together until a smooth dough forms. Cover the bowl and let stand for 30 minutes.

Uncover the bowl and add the salt water. Gently fold the dough onto itself until all the water has been incorporated. Cover the dough and let sit for 1 hour gently folding the dough onto itself four times, every 20 minutes. Cover the dough and let sit for 3-4 hours.

Turn the dough out onto a floured surface and gently shape into a large round (or 2 small rounds), folding the dough under itself as necessary. Let the loaf stand on the work surface for 20 minutes. Gently fold the sides under again.

Line 1 large bowl (or 2 smaller bowls) with a generously flour dusted kitchen towel. Transfer the loaf to the bowl, rounded side down. Cover the loaf with a clean towel and let rise for 4-5 hours or alternatively, let rise for 1 hour and then refrigerate overnight.

Step 3. Baking: Preheat oven to 490 degrees. Heat 1 large enameled cast-iron dutch oven or skillet with a lid (or 2 smaller cast-iron dutch ovens or skillets) in the oven for 30 minutes. Make sure the lids have heat proof knobs! Remove from the oven and dust the bottom with all-purpose flour. Turn the loaf into the dutch oven, rounded side up. Using a sharp, thin knife score the top of the loaf with an X or square pattern. This prevents the loaf from cracking and popping out into a funky shape on the top. Don't burn your fingers, use those oven mittens to place the lid back on top of the dutch oven. Bake bread for 15 minutes. Reduce the temperature to 470 degrees and bake for an additional 20 minutes. Uncover dutch oven and bake for approximately 25 minutes (less if you are making 2 loaves) until the the bread is richly browned. You will smell it when it is done, it smells amazing! Transfer the loaf to a rack and let cool before slicing. Enjoy your beautiful bread and marvel at your smarts for learning to make a charming bakery loaf.

Variations

2. Whole Wheat Make the pre-ferment with 150 g of whole wheat flour and 150 g warm water. For the dough use 700 g white flour, and 300 g whole wheat flour and 750 g warm water.

3. Rye Make the pre-ferment with 150 g of rye flour and 150 g warm water. For the dough use 850 g white flour, 300 g rye flour and 750 g warm water.

Why is everything weighed out and not measured by volume?

Weighing ingredients using a scale, such as a digital scale, is more accurate than measuring by volume. A decent scale runs about $20, a super scale will set you back $50. I consider this an Urban Domestic Girl kitchen necessity.

Slather some of your homemade nut butter on a slice with a cup of tea or use it to make a slammin' sandwich for lunch. My little heart patters when it is used for french toast, yumm.